petit Etoile

A story of a little girl who dreams to be a prima ballerina

petit Etoile features a design of jolly-looking ballerina girls dressed in tutus. In French, Etoile means a star and also portrays a prima ballerina or a principal dancer in ballet terms. The concept of this series is a story of children dreaming to become a prima ballerina. Kokka Fabric’s Creative Director says, “As little ballerinas are the theme, it may be great to make lesson bags for ballet and other classes.” This cotton/linen canvas material is perfect for creating large and solid bags.

Les 4 petits cygnes　P32100-100 Cotton/Linen Canvas

On this fabric, four posed swans from the ballet Swan Lake are featured. The lined-up little ballerinas are lovely, aren’t they? With petite ballerinas dancing closely together all across the design, small items made from this fabric will look adorable.

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Boston Bag

Size: 35cm (h) 46cm (w) 23cm (d)

Today’s project is a Boston bag made with ni-co, a fabric that was created under the theme, “Unisex Simple.” The main part of the bag uses a different color car-b, while the accent is added to the top and handles with the block design. With a large width, the bag has ample room to hold many items including a change of clothes for an overnight trip or going to a gym. Kaori Sawa is here to introduce her creation.

Design & creation：Kaori Sawa（Caunes+ Kaori*ri)

Fabric shown for this sample:　：echino ni-co car-b JG99800-801 (B), (D)
　　echino ni-co block JG99800-803 (B)

Materials:
□ Fabric: (Outer panel fabric – panel a) 100cm×40cm
(Outer fabric – gusset a, bottom) 100cm×50cm
(Other) 110cm×140cm
□ Fusible interfacing: 80cm×110cm
□ Zipper: One piece (60cm)
□ Cardboard: 50cm×30cm

We interviewed Kaori about her creation:
Kokka Fabric (KF): What did you think of the fabric you used for this project?

I was happy to work on this project since the fabric was my favorite, echino. I thought this would be a perfect fabric to make something sizable.

KF: Can you tell us any special elements or ideas that you incorporated into this creation?
This large bag can be used as a travel bag. It has a wide width and is collapsible, easy to store when not in use. The designs of two different fabrics are creatively incorporated.

KF: What are some tips for making this bag?
You will have a clean finish if you iron frequently during the process. To give it a solid look, I recommend using a heavy-weight interfacing.

KF: How should we use this bag in everyday situations?
For your travels. You can take plenty of outfits.

KF: Thank you very much, Kaori! Here are sewing instructions along with step by step photos from her. Enjoy crafting!

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Kid’s blouse with 20W gauze

Size: 36cm(W), 46.5cm(L)

Here is a kid’s blouse with a soft texture double gauze. To match with the feature of the airy fabric, the blouse has been tailored with full gathered cuffs and waistline. With such a lovely bouquet print, it can be one of your kid’s best choices for special occasions.

For a beautiful finish of the cuff and the waistline, try to make gathering evenly from the centerline toward both ends.

Design & creation:Kokka Fabric

Fabric shown for this sample:
20W gauze P23700-701 (A)

Materials:
□Double gauze: 108cm(W) x 110cm(L)
□Interfusing: 90cm(W) x 15cm(L)
□1 Button of 1.3cm diameter

Click here for Sewing Instructions (PDF format / A4 size)

echino ni-co

echino’s sub series, ni-co is here!

ni-co is a collection that was first created in 2008 with the “unisex simple” as its concept. Systematically aligned rhythmic patterns and motifs that are drawn with expressive lines and simple design are the characteristics of this collection. The motifs for 2013 were scooters, cameras and glasses, and for the new collection, ni-co’s popular motif, vehicles are featured. Bright colors and smoky tones are used to create a fabric that is versatile for making different items for various ages and genders.

“To simply enjoy the pattern, a basic tote bag is a perfect choice. ni-co has a pattern of repeated motifs so you don’t need to worry about the direction of the fabric. It may be fun to make different sized totes, from mini to big, in the same shape. Combining it with leather parts creates a stylish masculine bag. With smoky color combinations, wide-sized easy pants may be interesting to make.” (by Etsuko Furuya, echino Designer)

helicopter-b　JG−99800-800 Cotton/Linen Canvas

The motif of this fabric is a realistic looking helicopter. This series incorporates a drawing that uses a faded brush stroke, which creates just the right amount for an attractive look. Five different color combinations let you have fun choosing the color. Khaki and gray color tones are great for men’s items.

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Inspiration file59
Nijisuke’s animal paintings

Following on from the last column about goldfish I found at the Handmade Japan Festival (HMJ), I’m going to talk about another artist story.

At HMJ, there were various artists exhibiting accessories and illustrations, pottery and more. Amongst them, I found a booth where so many people were queuing and shopping. It was the Nijisuke’ s booth which I will feature here.

Nijisuke mainly creates animal paintings with acrylic. His original series of paintings are so unique that we have to redefine the concept of ‘animal painting’! Although their vivid hues differ from real thing, his animals somehow seem real. If we gazed at them, our hearts start pounding, they have a calm but none the less powerful impact.

In his booth, there were reproductions of paintings in colorful frames.

There were various types of smart phone cases which I couldn’t help but shop in bulk.

One customer left and another one came. Nijisuke was continuously kept busy.

As you see in the photos, Nijisuke also produces various products which duplicate the impact of the original paintings. Did you know, Nigisuke’s fabrics are produced by us: kokka-fabric are in charge of making his fabrics! The chimpanzee model, which many visitors at his booth were impressed by, has been converted into a fabric. You can see all fabrics on our textile story page.

For further information about Nigisuke’s creations, please go to his site:
　http://nijsuke5253.wix.com/0001